Profile

Matt Pierce

I took this class hoping to expand my philosophical horizons with some new
perspectives on Indigenous thought and philosophy. There was a good degree of
what I was looking for (mostly in relation to Aboriginal ideas about
knowledge, knowing, and education - which wa fascinating), but this course
actually is more designed to speak to the social issues regarding First
Nations (particularly those in Canada) including education, economics, and
governance. It was still quite interesting, however, and the instructor
provided an abundance of out-of-class resources in the form of videos and
reading. You could tell a lot of effort went into putting this course
together.

I was taking this class purely out of interest and it was FASCINATING.
Seriously, I enjoyed this course all the way through, from week-to-week my
interest never wavered as is so common with MOOCs. Lots of interesting, well-
informed speakers and lots of detailed figures presented without being
overwhelming. They really get into the industrial agricultural systems of the
U.S. in an objective (note, that doesn't mean neutral) way. They have a number
of guest lecturers that are all also very informative. If it's offered again,
I highly recommend it to everyone, it could really change the way you think
about the food you eat.

I've only recently developed any serious interest in film as an actual artform
and I've gotta' say that this course, though almost painfully easy, really did
a lot to expand my horizons. Before this course, I'd never been able to enjoy
a silent film, but I was thoroughly entertained by both of the silent movies
we watched in the first week. It's all about how much you engage with the
material presented by Professor Higgins, who is very knowledgeable and
passionate about the films presented. He presents a variety of films, some
that I'd have never watched had I not taken this course, and provides some
very thoughtful commentary on each, highlighting aspects of the film making
process as they grow and develop. You have to take this class if you're a
budding film buff.

The first half of this course was a lot more engaging and interesting than the
second half, but of course that could have just been me steadily losing
interest. It was relatively dry, but quite informative. There was a bit of
frustration surrounding some of the mathematics in the latter half of the
course as well, which wasn't really covered at all in the lectures or in any
resources given by the instructor (except for a short and somewhat unhelpful
study guide given after a lot of the students had expressed their dismay).
Overall, it is what it is. A basic overview of the fundamentals of personal
finance. If you're interested in staying engaged with the material, it is a
decent intro class.

I actually enrolled in this course while taking a Greek Mythology course at my
actual college. It was really interesting to have the juxtaposition of two
VASTLY different approaches to the material, and to see what common threads
emerged from the two. I will say, that purely on the level of familiarizing
myself with Greek Myth, this course probably wins out over my school's course,
which was more of a comparative myth class through the lens of the Greeks,
whereas this course really got a lot more involved in the meat of what the
Greco-Roman myths really are, at their core. The professor has an infectious
enthusiasm that really engages you with the material, and this course had one
of the most active, interesting, and helpful forums of any MOOC I've yet
taken. Highly recommended!

Great course. The instructors do a great job of explaining genetic and
epigenetic concepts in ways that are readily understandable and they always
give you some tangible way of connecting with the ideas presented. The
lectures, quizzes, and exams are all very straightforward and fair. The
professors also provide a wealth of additional readings every week (though
usually the readings don't show up on the quizzes, you can watch the lectures
and just be fine). There isn't really any prior experience with the material
necessary (assuming you understand basic biology), because the professors
manage to explain everything on it's own terms without presupposition of any
prior knowledge.

This course made me want to change my major to psychology. It is absolutely
fascinating. I actually went into it because I had recently become interested
in philosophy of the mind, and this course was one of the most singularly
informative and interesting that I've ever taken. I felt as thought the
professor was initially a little nervous in the presentations, but he quickly
became one of my favorite professors on Coursera. This course is more
philosophically than hard science oriented, but does a great job introducing
and exploring concepts from both sides of that coin. The professor was also
really great about interacting with the students via the forums.

I can't even begin to say enough positive things about this course. It is the
best course, hands down, that I've taken with Coursera so far, and Zelikow is
one of the most competent and engaging instructors I've ever had the pleasure
of learning from. He obviously has great passion for the material, and his
enthusiasm was totally infectious. This is one of the few MOOCs so far that
I've taken in which my interest never wavered. Every week, the material
presented in the lectures was absolutely fascinating. He did a good job of
giving you a truly global picture of most events, and fairly complex
examinations of geopolitical and economic factors as well, without it ever
becoming uninteresting or losing sight of the history.